Return to the scene: Royals go back to site of playoff demise

Pitching coach Carlos Martinez of the Burlington Royals made particular note of when the team would make its annual trip to face the Elizabethton Twins this year.

“I’ve been thinking about that since I saw the schedule,” Martinez said.

Not good thoughts, mind you.

The Royals head off today for a three-game series in Elizabethton, Tenn., where last September they seemed on the verge of ending a 19-year championship drought for Burlington’s minor league baseball franchise. Instead, a sequence of events led to a dismal conclusion to an otherwise noteworthy Appalachian League season.

“Being there last year at that place and knowing what happened will be a weird feeling,” Martinez said. “It’s something that is going to be in my mind at some point.”

As a quick review, the Royals didn’t hold a mid-inning lead in Game 2 of the best-of-3 championship series and lost in 11 innings. They held a five-run lead with two outs (and two strikes on a batter) in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 3 and that wasn’t enough. Then in the 12th inning, they succumbed to a game-ending, title-clinching grand slam with two outs on a full-count pitch.

A storybook scenario if you’re on the right side of it.

The Royals weren’t.

Burlington manager Tommy Shields, who said the outcome of the championship series might stick with him forever, said he has revisited enough sites of previous shortcomings during his career as a player and manager that he puts no particular emphasis on this trek.

“I have no thoughts,” Shields said about this week’s visit, though later added it’s “back to the scene of the crime.”

Only a handful of players remain on the Burlington team from a year ago, so it’s not like a full-scale rematch of any sorts. When the bus arrives there today, most of the Royals will be on that soil for the first time.

Pitcher Jose Rodriguez and infielder Ramon Torres, both returnees to Burlington this year, played in that last game of the title series.

Catcher Chad Johnson joined the Burlington team for the 2012 postseason as a backup in case an extra player was needed. While he didn’t play, he witnessed the meltdown.

“Hopefully not relive what happened,” Johnson said. “… (Maybe) kind of get revenge for what happened. You’re not going to forget what happened.”

Pitcher Ben Tomchick was on hand, too. He was on the mound when Game 2 ended. About 24 hours later, the whole thing had gone awry.

“It was a bad trip back,” he said.

Tomchick said he chooses not to remember the details, saying this week’s assignment is just like any other on the docket.

Martinez said he scoured the 2013 schedule because he didn’t want to be at Joe O’Brien Field at the start of the season when there might be a championship ring ceremony or other commemorative activities.

“That was my first thought,” he said.

The Royals have never won a series at Elizabethton. The closest they came was last year when they split two games and the third game of the regular-season series was cancelled. The Royals, who are in their seventh season as an affiliate in Burlington, are 3-17 all-time — counting the two playoff games — at Elizabethton.